My U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,237, issued July 21, 1973, discloses an apparatus for handling soiled surgical sponges which comprise a flat, flexible strip of plastic bags. The front and rear panels of each bag are joined by an easily rupturable connection, which may be left intact to enable the bag to receive and segregate two small sponges, or broken to adapt the bag to receive a single, large sponge. The embodiment shown in the patent uses a connection in the form of a central longitudinal seam defined by an adhesive or a weak heat seal, whereas a commercial embodiment used simply a weak heat seal spot located in the central, upper region of the bag. Experience has shown that these forms of my sponge handling bag strip have one disadvantage, namely, the mouths of the bags tend to gape excessively, particularly when the bags are filled with large, blood-soaked sponges. This condition is considered undesirable because it permits too much contact between the soiled sponges and the atmosphere of the operating room.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of the basic apparatus described in said patent in which the gaping condition just mentioned is materially reduced. According to the invention, the new bag strip employs three connections between the front and rear panels of each bag. The first connection of each set is located in the central, lower region of the bag and is easily rupturable. The other two connections may, but need not, be easily rupturable, and are located in an upper region of the bag intermediate the sides and the center. When the lower connection is intact, it enables the bag to hold in a segregated manner two small sponges, and coacts with the two upper connections to limit gaping of the bag mouth. On the other hand, when the lower connection is broken, the bag is enabled to receive a single, large sponge, and gaping of the mouth is limited solely by the two upper connections. Thus, the improved form of the bag strip provides the desirable characteristics of the prior forms while substantially eliminating their undesirable gaping characteristic.
During operations, the bag strips commonly are hung one behind another. Therefore, if both panels are transparent, sponges in an underlying bag can be seen through the foremost strip, and a busy sponge nurse may bypass an empty bag, thinking that it already has been used. As a result, an accurate final sponge count may be difficult to achieve. This situation can be eliminated, if necessary, merely by making the rear panel opaque.